theatre

Great books to get your brains tingling! If you’re building a Minecraft empire or brushing up your acting skills with the Harry Potter script the top issuing non-fiction books have something you’ll love.

Lego has always been a favourite in the Children’s non-fiction collection, but have you ever considered using your own lego collection to make history? Not only is the 2017 Guinness World records in the Top 10 but, they are also accepting bids for the largest Lego pyramid ever… with teams of unlimited size! So round up your mates, and their mates and their… so on and so on and who knows, Guiness World record 2018 could contain your name!

Welcome to 2017! A new year and a new start. And so far, it looks very promising at the library with truck loads of new and amazing non fiction where the wonderful world of Harry Potter continues, and collides with an amazing world of fantastic beasts and hidden realms. Further worlds and realms are discovered where imagination takes flight, creativity comes to life, passions are invoked and where heroes, heroines, role models, leaders are discovered.

The Harry Potter film collection continues with the complete guide to Albus Dumbledore. This book holds photographs, memories, and quotes from the eight Harry Potter films featuring Albus Dumbledore, looking the moments that made him a great wizard and Hogwarts headmaster, and how he guided Harry in his adventures.

The spin off of the Harry Potter films comes to life with the release of the magical movie handbook: Fantastic Beasts and where to find them. This book featuring amazing photos and details from the film, this handbook highlights all of your favorite characters, locations, artifacts, spells, and magical moments from the movie.

The wonderful world of William Shakespeare’s plays comes to life in this illustrated volume which features seven classic plays by William Shakespeare, retold by E. Nesbit in plain English – Great for those who aren’t fluent in Shakespeare’s language.

This guide is a toolkit for kids that teaches them how to think creatively through deductive reasoning, listening skills, and imagination, as well as help kids then have to figure out the answers through detective work and a little creative reasoning.

This book is literally a world of information where essential facts are brought to life by stylish infographics and fascinating commentary! You will discover amazing facts and answers to life’s questions such as How much do clouds weigh? Who invented the pencil? How many ways can you tie a knot?

National Geographic’s has done again with these two new books on heroes, heroines and role models. In The Book of Heroes, read and discover the true stories of superheroes, rebels, world leaders, action heroes, sports legends, and many more daring dudes, all of whom played their part to make their mark, make a contribution, and make the world a better place. While The Book of Heroines covers everything you need to know about female superstars, war heroes, world leaders, gusty gals, and everyday women who changed the world. Both books contain engaging text, high-quality photographs and is a toolkit for every kid with a goal, hope, or dream they want to make a reality.

Alfie Onion has just set off on a great adventure …but only to carry his brother’s luggage. It’s his elder brother, Magnifico Onion, who’s destined to win their family a Happily Ever After. But when it turns out Magnifico isn’t half the hero he’s cracked up to be, it falls to Alfie to save the day – with a little help from his loyal dog, a talking horse and a couple of meddling magpies.

When 11-year-old Caitlin discovers a shrimp-like alien creature on the shores of her island home, she takes responsibility for teaching it about the world. Mostly, this just involved stopping little Perijee from eating everything. Caitlin becomes increasingly close to her alien friend, treating him like a brother. There’s only one problem – Perijee won’t stop growing. Then the authorities try to hunt him down and through his fear, Perijee disappears and starts causing trouble. Caitlin must leave home and travel across the country to try and convince Perijee to stop destroying everything before it’s too late.

Binny Cornwallis has lost some money. Money that wasn’t really hers in the first place. With her best enemy Gareth and her beloved dog Max she turns detective to track it down, but the Cornwallis family are anything but helpful. Little brother James and his friend Dill are having an adventure of their own and big sister Clem is acting very strangely. And on top of all this, Binny suspects their next-door neighbour may be a witch …

Forbidden to leave her island, Isabella dreams of the faraway lands her cartographer father once mapped. When her friend disappears, she volunteers to guide the search. The world beyond the walls is a monster-filled wasteland and beneath the dry rivers and smoking mountains, a fire demon is stirring from its sleep. Soon, following her map, her heart and an ancient myth, Isabella discovers the true end of her journey: to save the island itself.

‘It’s school play season, and Emily Sparkes has landed herself a starring role… not. In fact it’s the most HUMILIATING role in the history of all time – even worse than the time she was cast as a duck. (Quack, quack.) Emily’s friends Chloe (pretty much a Hollywood-star-to-be, daahling) and Zuzanna are very excited. Partly because, for the first time ever, they’ll be performing in a gala at the local theatre like proper actors! But things take a turn for the worse when they meet the other school who’ll be performing. The girls from Mag Hall have a history with Chloe that seems a bit mysterious. It’s going to take some real Emily Sparkes creativityness to get to the bottom of things!’ – taken from book cover.

Whether its setting off fireworks in celebration of a historic day or lighting a lantern in remembrance of a loved one that has passed away, every culture has its unique set of customs. Filled with beautifully detailed illustrations, Lighting our world shines a light on familiar and unusual festivals that are celebrated each month of the year. Learn about holidays celebrated around the world from the one’s you know, like Easter, Halloween, Christmas and Hanukkah to the less known, like Las Fallas, Buddha’s birthday and Obon: Festival of the dead.

Think you got what it takes to be an actor? Or you have a speech to prepare for and want to boast your confidence? Then with this exciting new read, all the world’s your stage. On Stage Theater Games and Activities for Kids is filled with acting and theater games that help children learn how to express themselves with their voices and bodies, as well as enhance children’s self esteem and manage public speaking fears. Also filled with games and activities to cover basic theater vocabulary, puppetry and pantomime, sound effects, costumes, props, and makeup.

Do you ever have moments when you wonder what someone else is talking about, especially if that someone happens to be Doctor Who talking about the Blinovitch Limitation Effect and regeneration? Not to fear, In this book, the Doctor takes you through all those tricky Time Lord words and phrases to teach you everything you need to know for travelling through time and space in the Time And Relative Dimension In Space (TARDIS) with him. The Doctor’s dictionary is the essential book for all budding time travelers and intergalactic companions. Great for ages 7 to 12 years and anyone who is a fan of Doctor Who.

Welcome to the House of Horrors! This book isn’t about just any house, it’s about your house and its uninvited guests. You will read and learn all the revolting facts like what bugs eat their own poo, how many litres of wee can a mouse produce a year and why you would hire a giant centipede that will be enough to scare you out of your own house and put you off your food… for life!

This biography is a tribute to a little known but much loved member of the Harlem Renaissance elite, Florence Mills, a performer whose story may have faded from the history books, but whose influence resonated long after she sang her last song. Florence Mills’ story includes coverage of her youth as a child of former slaves, her singing and dancing performances that inspired songs and entire plays, and the struggles with racism that prompted her advocacy of all-black theater and musicals.

We remember her as Mary Poppins and Maria from The Sound of Music, but now Julie Andrews and her daughter, Emma Walton Hamilton have put together this beautiful book of poems and songs that celebrate every moment of the year. This keepsake collection includes poems written by famous poets such as Robert Frost, Emily Dickinson, Walt Whitman and even some written by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton that will encourage an early love for poetry.

In 1609 Shakespeare’s theatre company, the King’s Men, acquired another theatre called Blackfriars Theatre. It only held 700 people (compared to The Globe’s 3000) but unlike The Globe it had a roof! Therefore the company could perform at The Globe in summer, and then move to Blackfriars Theatre in winter. The company also charged six times as much for each ticket so they earnt the same amount of money in winter as they did in summer!

Historians do not know exactly when Shakespeare retired. The nearest they can guess is between 1611 and 1613. The company hired another writer to replace Shakespeare, John Fletcher, and he and Shakespeare wrote three plays together: Henry VIII, Cardenio and Two Noble Kinsmen.

In January 1616 Shakespeare drew up his will, leaving his wife “the second best bed!” Shakespeare died on April 23rd 1616 . He was buried in the Holy Trinity Church in Stratford-upon-Avon.

Shakespeare wrote his own epitaph for his tombstone: “Good friend, for Jesus’ sake forbear to dig the dust enclosed here; Blest be the man that spares these stones and curst be he that moves my bones.”

The threat of a curse upon anyone who moves Shakespeare’s bones has worked. No one has ever shifted them.

Shakespeare was a member of a theatre company called the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. He was their chief playwright, writing about two plays per year, and he also appeared as an actor. Shakespeare was also a shareholder in the acting company.

As only men were allowed to act onstage, all theatre companies were made up of men, with a few boys aged 8 – 12 who played the female parts.

In 1597 the theatre company’s lease on the theatre they were using ran out. Their landlord wanted to pull down the theatre and use the timber for something else! So what they did was this: they gathered together in the middle of the night, dismantled the theatre piece by piece, and transported the timber across the Thames River, where they rebuilt the theatre south of the river.

The new theatre was called the Globe; it had twenty short sides so it formed a circle. It could seat 3,000 people. Shakespeare also owned a share in the new theatre.

The theatre was attended by everyone, rich and poor. It was one of the few places where everyone could meet on equal terms.

Some people think that William Shakespeare did not write Shakespeare’s plays at all. That instead he was the front man for someone else who did not want their identity known. This is known as the “authorship controversy.”

Why do they think this? Some people think that Shakespeare was not educated enough to have written the plays that he did. That his knowledge of court life, and the legal system was too great for someone who had not been to university, travelled, or was a member of the royal court.

None of his plays appear to have been put on in his hometown of Stratford. When he died, Shakespeare did not leave any letters or diaries that referred to his writing career, or any drafts of his plays. He also did not mention his plays in his will either.

So if Shakespeare did not write his plays, then who did? There are many theories, and many people from Shakespeare’s time have been put forward as possibilities for the “real” Shakespeare. These include: Queen Elizabeth I, Christopher Marlowe, Edward De Vere the 17th Earl of Oxford, Roger Manners the 5th Earl of Rutland and Sir Francis Bacon.

However, there is no proof that any of these people actually wrote Shakespeare’s plays, or that Shakespeare himself did not write his own plays.

Want to find out more about Shakespeare? Visit this link for books about Shakespeare.